The instant invention is directed to insertion of intermixed DIP and DIP socket components (hereinafter, DIP sockets are referred to as sockets) by an apparatus which allows closer lateral spacing of these components than has been possible heretofore with high speed, automated, assembly-line types of equipment. In order to accomplish this denser circuit board population, the insert head should be capable of easy loading with a DIP or the wider-bodied socket and, as is sometimes the case, of inserting the DIP or socket into a circuit board location already surrounded by other components, while not interfering with or damaging these surrounding components. This has been accomplished in the apparatus of the instant invention by providing an improved mechanism for controlling the opening and closing of the lead engaging and guiding jaws of an insertion head similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,180, issued to Pierson on June 21, 1977.
In the population of circuit boards, with an intermixing of DIP and socket components, and in the context of this invention, several dimensions are of particular importance. For instance, lead center distance--the spacing between the axes of opposed leads of rows of leads for an individual DIP or socket; socket body width; socket body height; the lateral spacing dimension between the leads of a DIP and the side surface of an adjacent socket; and the lateral spacing dimension between side surfaces of adjacent sockets. It should be noted that the spacing dimension between rows of holes for adjacent components is generally a fixed distance in order to allow flexibility in board design, i.e., selection of either a DIP or socket for insertion at a particular position on the circuit board and, in order to increase the intermixed population of components on a circuit board, it is desirable to minimize this dimension. A better understanding of these dimensions may be gained by referring to the drawings and their associated description.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved component insertion head which will allow closer or denser population of electronic components on a circuit board.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a component insertion head that can insert DIPs and DIP sockets in an intermixed relation upon a circuit board and in a dense population thereof.
It is another object of this invention to provide full opening of guide jaws of the insertion head during loading thereof with a DIP or DIP socket, and partial opening and controlled closing thereof during insertion of the DIP or DIP socket into a circuit board.
Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.
The improved mechanism of this invention comprises primary and secondary cam surfaces, engageable with component gripping jaws by variable shifting of a camming tube according to a programmed high or low fluid pressure supply, to open and control closing of the jaws in opposition to tension spring-biasing of the jaws toward a closed position onto the component leads. The mechanism of this invention further comprises improved component engaging jaw ends which provide support for component leads through an increase lead contacting and guiding surface and a reduced "footprint", indicative of the circuit board surface area between adjacent components that is needed for proper functioning of these jaws.